WESTHAMPTON — In collaboration with the Kestrel Land Trust of Amherst and the Ashfield-based Hilltown Land Trust, Westhampton is working to conserve nearly 800 acres of forest in the Spruce Hill Forest Conservation Project.
Thanks to $1.25 million in state funding, the town will create recreational opportunities for hundreds of acres built upon a corridor of 2,200-plus acres of existing protected land.
“We’ll be able to not only preserve this land because it meets all the high-priority goals in terms of conservation — wanting to protect it for clean air, clean water, wildlife habitats,” said Westhampton Selectboard member Jennifer Milikowsky. “There’s a lot of ecological value of this land but also, it being right behind the town village center, it is in a great position for recreational opportunities. It’s a win-win.”
The Healey-Driscoll administration awarded the grant funding through its Landscape Partnership Grant Program, which is designed to conserve large blocks of land in the state.
Westhampton residents voted unanimously at Annual Town Meeting in May to give the town the go-ahead to apply for the grant, which will enable the town to be reimbursed for expenses it occurs in conserving the land.
The town is collaborating with the Kestrel Land Trust and the Hilltown Land Trust to collectively secure 793 acres divided into four parcels. Westhampton will maintain responsibility over two of the parcels next to the Spruce Hills Conservation Area: one sized at 126 acres and the other, 109 acres. The other two parcels, which border the Tighe-Carmody Reservoir that provides drinking water for Holyoke, will be maintained by the Kestrel and Hilltown trusts.
Kestrel Executive Director Kristin DeBoer stressed the importance of large-scale conservation projects like this, to aid in the larger fight against climate change.
“Kestrel Land Trust is focused on large-scale forest conservation because that’s part of the solution to the climate crisis,” she said. “It is important for local biodiversity and wildlife habitats, and it’s important for public access to nature.”
The Kestrel Land Trust used the state’s BioMap tool to identify the land as a high-priority area for conservation. The BioMap tool was established by MassWildlife and The Nature Conservancy in November 2022, combining more than 40 years of data to identify areas of interest for conservation.
“We prioritize forest conservation based on three things: climate resilience, wildlife habitat and drinking supply,” DeBoer said. “When all three interact, as they do in this area, it is the highest priority for forest conservation.”
As the project progresses, Westhampton will be reaching out to residents for input on recreational use of the land. While rules about recreational use have not been finalized, the town hopes to collect public input about activities such as hiking, bird watching, fishing and hunting.
Additionally, the two parcels protect Rice Brook, which is identified as a coldwater fisheries resource by the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
“At a time when federal funding for land conservation has drastically declined, we really appreciate and rely on support from the state to provide the backbone of conservation in Massachusetts,” DeBoer said. “We’re glad to have this grant.”
Established in 2011, the Landscape Partnership Grant Program was created by the state to facilitate large-scale projects that help sustain ecosystems, protect the viability of farm and forest economies, and expand public outdoor recreational opportunities. The program comes from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs as part of the Healey administration’s Mass Ready Act. The act and its initiatives aim to absorb pollution, lower temperatures, and prevent the loss of plant and animal species.
“It is wonderful to see this significant investment to protect and preserve our natural beauty here in western Massachusetts,” state Sen. Paul Mark, D-Becket, said in a statement. “I am grateful to the administration for their support of efforts to keep these important spaces conserved and attractive for the people of our region and beyond.”
